Improved myocardial perfusion preceding clinical response on bosentan treatment for coronary vasospasm

Acta Cardiol. 2009 Jun;64(3):415-7. doi: 10.2143/AC.64.3.2038032.

Abstract

Many patients suffer from persistent angina due to coronary vasospasm despite optimal medical treatment. We treated a 46-year-old patient with severe and treatment-resistant coronary vasospasm with the endothelin-receptor antagonist bosentan. Using oxygen-15-labelled water in conjunction with oxygen 15-labelled carbon monoxide positron emission tomography (PET), we measured an impaired coronary flow reserve (CFR) in 6 out of 13 segments directly before the start of bosentan therapy. A repeated PET measurement after 16 weeks of bosentan revealed a completely normalized CFR in this patient. Furthermore, the patient reported less frequent and less severe chest pain. Our data suggest a potential role of endothelin-receptor antagonists for patients with severe coronary vasospasms.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Angina Pectoris, Variant / diagnosis
  • Angina Pectoris, Variant / drug therapy*
  • Angina Pectoris, Variant / physiopathology
  • Antihypertensive Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Blood Flow Velocity
  • Bosentan
  • Coronary Vasospasm / diagnosis
  • Coronary Vasospasm / drug therapy*
  • Coronary Vasospasm / physiopathology
  • Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Sulfonamides / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Antihypertensive Agents
  • Sulfonamides
  • Bosentan